Commencement Ceremony

Doors to the Van Andel Arena will open at 1:00 pm. Tickets, ordered in advance by the graduate, are required for all guests. Each graduate will receive a Commencement ticket order form at Senior Salute (February 19-20, 2008). There is no charge for Commencement tickets. To accommodate family members and guests of nearly 900 graduates, we kindly ask that ticket requests not exceed eight guests per graduate. Commencement tickets will be available for pick up at the Calvin College Box Office by the graduate from May 5-16, 2008. Graduates will be responsible for distributing these tickets to parents, family members, and other guests attending Commencement. If additional tickets are needed please contact the Calvin Box Office. 616-526-6282.

Graduation Robes: Graduates are directed to return robes to the banquet room near the front lobby of Van Andel Arena after the ceremony on Saturday, May 17. Graduates planning to return to campus for photos may return robes to FAC room 123. All graduation robes must be returned to one of these two locations no later than 5:00 pm on Saturday afternoon.

Guests Requiring Accessible Seating or Other Accommodations

The Van Andel Arena is an accessible facility for our guests. Graduates need to communicate accommodations for any guest who will be in a wheelchair, is unable to climb steps, or will require any other accommodations including sign language, large print, or Braille. These arrangements must be communicated by the graduate on the ticket order form or by contacting the Calvin Box Office at 616-526-6282.

We ask that guests please not arrive on Saturday expecting an accessible seat if a prior request has not been made. The college will, however, do its best to accommodate each guest who requires accessible seating.

Please understand that guests requesting accessible seating and/or accommodations may not be able to sit with all members of his/her family/party.

Senior Brunch

Tickets are not required. Please note that the Senior Brunch on Saturday, May 17 is an event for the class of 2008 graduates only. In consideration of space limitations in the Commons Dining Hall, the college is not able to accommodate parents or other family members at this event.

Breakfast for Parents of Graduates

Join President Byker and other Calvin administrators for this special Commencement Weekend event. The Breakfast for Parents of Graduates is held in the Prince Conference Center on Saturday, May 17 from 9:00-10:30 am. Tickets, purchased in advance by parents, are required ( $15/person). The ticket order form is included in the Commencement brochure that was mailed to parents in December 2007, or simply contact the Calvin Box Office at 616-526-6282.

Seating for this event is limited to the first 300 parents who place their order. Sales for tickets for this event will end on Monday, May 12, 2008. Tickets must be purchased in advance and will be mailed directly to the parents' home. (Note: During this event the graduates will be participating in the annual Senior Brunch held in the Commons Dining Hall).